Estia
Estia The continent of Estia is a realm of political machination and religious strife - a growing empire formed around the nucleus of a centuries-old holy crusade vies with a coalition of ancient nations for dominance, while elven empires both old and new seek to assert themselves as well. The remnants of a dynasty seven thousand years dead seeks to reclaim its former holdings, even as the mad followers of a perverse god sail across the sea from the west on golden ships, intent on spreading chaos and madness wherever their foul reach may extend. Physical Topagraphy The continent of Estia has a broad northern coast, with long island chains along the southern half of its eastern and western coasts. The climate and terrain differ significantly across the landmass, with the cool coniferous forests and hills of the north (the magical aberration of the Greentide notwithstanding) giving way to temperate grasslands in the heart of the continent, with more humid marshes and wetlands in the southern reaches, before finally giving way to the searing emptiness of the Tahkhet Desert. Travel is made comparitively easy by networks of highways placed by many different eras of rulers, not to mention well-established river routes that criss-cross the waterways of the kingdoms. For the brave or curious, there are also more arcane means of travel; the rune-etched Portals of the Aelfirr and the strange Witchgates of the Nephilim, magical gates that allow one to step through their arch in one place and emerge hundreds or thousands of miles away in a single stride. Major Features In terms of notable terrain, there are several significant landmarks that are well known across the continent. Ruins are a frequent (if morbid) reminder of the long history of Estia, with ancient structures, both isolated and incorporated into modern cities, scattered from the the Blasted Coast to the Nar Islands. Several such structures, such as the Bulwark of Los in the Westwatch, or the Titan city of Rivenguard in the Iron Mountains, are entirely intact, testaments to the puissance of the ancient Gigant and Sylphid architects who designed them. In terms of physical features, Estia boasts two major mountain ranges, expansive forests, and countless rivers - yet none compare to the largest and most mysterious feature of all. Some 200 years ago, the kingdoms of Estia learned that beneath their feet stretched a vast subterranean kingdom of city-sized caves and leagues-long tunnels: the Deep Darkness. This strange cthonian realm was, they learned, home to many horrors, but none so dangerous as its rulers - an empire of strange, otherworldly elves who called themselves the "Aelfirr", or "Firstborn" in their tongue. Though the surface races and the Aelfirr initially fought a bitter war of dominance, their hostilities ultimately subsided into a bloody and exhausted stalemate, and in the modern day large sections of the underground kingdom of the Aelfirr is open to visitors and traders from the surface. Those cities that have been opened to the surface races have built grand edifices at ground level, the better to intimidate and awe their guests. These landmarks often take the form of dramatic towers and fortresses, and rightfully count among the most impressive architecture on Estian soil. Political Features Several large kingdoms vie for control of Estia, with numerous smaller, unaligned holdings orbiting them. The two primary players in this struggle are the Estian Alliance in the north and the Andoran Protectorate to their south. Both nations court the favor of the independant Westwatch and Iron Kingdoms, as well as the loose alliance of clans in the islands and lagoons of the Nara and the wild gnoll tribes of the Howling Hills and Golden Plain. Throughout these lands ambassadors from the haughty Aelfirr and the mysterious Nephilim plie their trade, seeking alliances and footholds in the politics of Estia for their own sinister ends.